<a href="http://inhabitat.com/exterior-automobile-airbags-could-save-the-lives-of-pedestrians-and-bicyclists/">External airbags</a> have quickly emerged as one of the hottest automotive trends of 2013.&nbsp;Dutch car manufacturer&nbsp;TNO was the first car company to unveil<a href="http://inhabitat.com/exterior-automobile-airbags-could-save-the-lives-of-pedestrians-and-bicyclists/"> exterior airbags intended to save pedestrians</a> and cyclists from injury. Then Swedish automaker <a href="http://inhabitat.com/volvo-introduces-the-worlds-first-pedestrian-airbag-equipped-car/">Volvo jumped on the bandwagon</a>. Now,&nbsp;Texas-based <a href="http://www.hailstormproducts.com/">Hail Storm Products</a> has produced an entirely different kind of external airbag -- one that inflates and <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/auto-hail-protector/26344/">protects cars from the damage inflicted by hail storms</a>.

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The Hail Protector

Every year, about 250,000 cars are damaged by hail in the US, leaving car owners with pockmarked vehicles and insurers with a flood of claims.

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The Hail Protector

If you don't own a garage, there isn't much you can do when a hail storm approaches.

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The Hail Protector

For those occasions, the folks at Hail Storm Products have produced the Hail Protector, an inflatable system that puffs up to form a large cushion that will protect your entire car from hail damage.

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The Hail Protector

The <a href="http://www.hailstormproducts.com/">Hail Protector</a> comes with a mobile app that uses information from the National Weather Service and sends owners alerts before a hail storm arrives.

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The Hail Protector

And don't worry, you don't have to blow it up manually; four blowers powered by AA batteries, your car's cigarette lighter, or an AC outlet are used to inflate the airbag, which can be engaged with a remote control.

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The Hail Protector

The system can inflate in under five minutes, and <a href="http://www.gizmag.com/auto-hail-protector/26344/">according to Gizmag</a>, it can protect your car from hail chunks that are as big as a softball. The system retails for $299 to $399, depending on the type of car you have.